Music

Shawn Mendes is reunited with his baby, and we don't mean Camila Cabello -- his luxury SUV is back at home, but cops are still searching for whoever jacked it.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the singer's stolen G-Wagon was recovered earlier this week in Bev Hills, and was returned to him in surprisingly good condition considering the circumstances.

We're told the vehicle was found parked on a residential street -- neither trashed nor thrashed -- and once cops ran the plates, they confirmed it was Shawn's.

We broke the story ... Shawn and Camila were at home last week in L.A. when suspects broke a window and entered the place. They took off quickly when they realized the couple was there, but not before snagging Shawn's keys and fleeing in his SUV.

DMX is clinging to life in an ICU unit with little brain function, but a few family members who have visited the rap icon are not giving up.

Family sources tell TMZ, X's fiancée, Desiree Lindstrom, and mom, Arnett Simmons, have been allowed into the ICU to visit DMX, though he is not responsive. As we reported, family sources tell us some of his kids are coming to visit as well and are hopeful they will be allowed in.

TMZ first reported the OD and the fact he has limited brain function ... the result of oxygen deprivation after his OD late Friday night. One source with direct knowledge told TMZ the prognosis does not look good.

Nevertheless, the rapper's family is not giving up. DMX suffered a heart attack during the OD, and family members are holding out hope when the inflammation subsides his heart will restore itself. Of course, that does not have an impact on brain function.

B.B. Dickerson -- one of the founding members of the funk band War -- has reportedly died.

A rep confirmed his passing to Billboard, citing a battle with a long, undisclosed illness. He said B.B. -- whose real name was Morris -- died peacefully at his home in Long Beach.

Dickerson was one of the OG band members who helped put War on the map in the late '60s and '70s -- this after being discovered by record producer Jerry Goldstein and paired with lead singer Eric Burdon ... who served as the face of the group thereafter.

He served as the primary bassist for War, and often contributed vocals as well -- including heading up lead singer duties for their 10-minute-plus opus "The World is a Ghetto" -- which was reimagined and covered countless times over the years.

B.B. was also there for War's biggest hit single to date, "Why Can't We Be Friends?" plus a long string of other well-known tracks, like "Spill the Wine," "Gypsy Man," "Low Rider," "Me and Baby Brother," "The Cisco Kid," "All Day Music," "Slippin' Into Darkness," "Summer" and countless others.

He was also there performing with War when they notably shared the stage with Jimi Hendrix in London back in 1970 -- which became the latter's last public performance before he died.

B.B. toured and performed with War until 1979 -- when he departed, only to reunite with other founding members in the '90s under a new stage name, the Lowrider Band, as they attempted to get out from under the thumb of Goldstein, who had the rights to "War."

B.B. is said to be survived by his mother, uncle and children. He was 71.

A group of motorcycle heads who associate themselves with DMX's famous rap collective have rolled up to pay tribute to the man himself ... which made for an awesome scene.

A FOX5 reporter was on the ground Sunday outside of the White Plains hospital where X is currently being treated following his OD/heart attack -- and she captured a massive group of bikers pulling up across the street and gathering for what appeared to be a flash mob event.

Unclear what exactly they got planned, but what is clear is that they were there for X -- several were rocking the 'RR' brand, which is tied to X's pride and joy, the Ruff Ryders.

Ruff Ryders appears to encompass a wide-reaching community of members -- and they seem to have a biker community too, which would explain all the revving we hear going on here. The crowd was blasting DMX music too ... seems they're hoping he and his loved ones can hear them from inside.

It made for a super sweet moment, and it sounds like more of a demonstration is forthcoming. What this also speaks to is DMX's massive crossover appeal among different audiences ... he's a hip-hop legend, but his fan base is incredibly diverse, as you can see.

The Ruff Ryders first came onto the scene back in the late '90s, when X put out an anthem dedicated just to them. In the official music video, X employed a lot of motorcycles and motorcycle stunts, so he was definitely about that subculture even back then.

The Weeknd is getting involved with the military conflict in Ethiopia -- donating a million dollars, which will provide food for people who need it there.

The singer, who is of Ethiopian descent himself, partnered with World Food Program USA -- a UN World Food Programme affiliate -- to send over a million bucks toward relief efforts in the North African country ... which has been mired with bloodshed and chaos for months.

Specifically, Abel's money will provide the equivalent of 2 million meals for citizens there who have been caught in the middle of the feuding factions ... many of whom are running out of resources, like food.

TW says, "My heart breaks for my people of Ethiopia as innocent civilians ranging from small children to the elderly are being senselessly murdered and entire villages are being displaced out of fear and destruction." He goes on to encourage others who can to donate as well.

If you haven't heard, Ethiopia has been embroiled in a bitter battle with its own people since November -- when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered an attack on the Tigray People's Liberation Front -- the ruling party in the northern part of the region.

The PM accused them of attacking a government military base and attempting to steal weapons and artillery. Keep in mind, this all came to a head after tensions had been brewing between the two groups for quite some time, and as the country had been fully attempting to transition into a democratic system of government. Safe to say ... it's complicated.

Tina Turner's new documentary on HBO has revved up fans who are incredulous she's not already in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist ... but there's something they can do about it.

Since "Tina" premiered in late March -- and even before -- many of the legendary singer's fans have expressed outrage she's only in the RRHOF as a duo with Ike Turner ... her abusive and manipulative ex-husband and musical partner.

Tina and Ike were inducted way back in 1991, but she went solo in 1984 so that's further infuriated people ... because it means she'd been eligible for HOF induction for years but only got on the ballot this year.

Long story short -- fans are pissed and have been letting it out on Twitter the past week, but Greg Harris, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum tells us ... if fans want to help Tina's chances they can -- with the RRHOF fan vote.

The way it works -- fans can vote for the top 5 among the Class of 2021 nominees, which along with Tina includes Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Foo Fighters, Carole King and Rage Against the Machine. The top vote-getter among those 5 will win the official "fan vote."

Now, RRHOF voting is notoriously cryptic and secretive, but we're told the fan vote will be one of 1,000 votes from artists, historians, journalists, and members of the music industry.

That may not sound like much, but if fervent Tina fans vote her in ... ya gotta think it'll inspire others to follow suit.

Plus, it helps that she's beyond deserving.

Fan voting lasts until May 7, so if you're among those incensed TT's not in ... now's your chance to let your voice be heard.

DMX suffered a drug overdose Friday night and is currently in the hospital ... and the prognosis is not good.

Sources close to the rapper tell TMZ, the OD occurred at his home at around 11 PM. Our sources say the overdose triggered a heart attack.

DMX was rushed to a hospital in White Plains, New York and is in the critical care unit. We're told he has "some brain activity." Another source says he's in a "vegetative state" and doctors have cautioned he may not make it.

As we have reported over the years, DMX, who was the cornerstone of the Ruff Ryders label, has battled substance abuse and has been to rehab several times. His last rehab stint back in 2019 came after he completed a 12-month sentence for tax evasion.

At the time, we were told DMX hadn't relapsed but checked himself into rehab out of fear he might again, as he felt temptations to use creep up on him again.

DMX made his return to the stage following rehab in December 2019 when he hit Hakkassan in Las Vegas, chatting it up and taking photos with fans before he hit the stage.

During the Vegas show, he took a moment to tell fans, "When you fall down, get back up, everyone here has been through some s**t and you never know what God is willing to do for you until you need him to do something for you."

Last we saw him perform was in July 2020, when X faced off with Snoop Dogg in a Verzuz battle which saw more than 500k viewers tune in, proving he still had an incredible ability to bring an audience.

We will, of course, update as information becomes available regarding his current situation.

Mariah Carey ended her COVID vaccine excursion on a high note -- literally.

America's diva rolled up her sleeve in NYC Saturday to get her first dose, but it wasn't without some trepidation. The "Emotions" singer had 2 of them -- excitement and nervousness, as the camera rolled for the money shot.

As the doctor sticks the needle in her arm, she belts out her signature, glass-breaking screech ... 2 times, no less!!!

It was all in fun, we think, and Mariah encouraged everyone to follow suit and shoot up.

Mariah is curious about the absence of blood, ending with this proclamation, "See, I've proven my point. I am actually a vampire."

Paul Simon will be a forgotten name in the history books when scholars look back on 20th-century music and see only Bob Dylan and The Beatles standing tall -- that's the polarizing take of one NBC writer, anyway.

Jeff Slate -- a NYC-based songwriter and journalist -- penned a controversial piece for NBC Think ... titled, "Paul Simon sold his catalog to Sony for millions. He'll still end up a historical footnote to Dylan." Indeed ... it is triggering.

His subheading reads, "He was a prolific songwriter with a lucrative catalog any corporation would happily monetize. But there are only a few names our descendants will ever learn."

We know, we know ... you're fuming already. That's exactly what the internet is doing as well as it jumps to PS's defense.

You can read Slate's take in full for the big picture -- which is all about how Dylan recently sold his catalog of music and the rights to it to UMG for a reported $400 million, and how Simon followed in his footsteps by doing the same with Sony for his rights -- but the gist here is ... Paul Simon will be an "also-ran" compared to BD when it's all said and done.

In Slate's view, Dylan will perhaps be alone with John, Paul, George and Ringo and as the standout folk/rock acts of the '60s/'70s -- and that artists like Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and others will fall by the wayside, especially among younger, average-Joe listeners.

That seems to be what Slate's getting at -- and of course, A LOT of people disagree ... with some arguing Simon is just as prolific and culturally impactful as Dylan ever was. We don't have to get into a pissing contest ... both guys have scores of songwriting credits and hits under their belts. Of course, you could argue Dylan is perhaps the better-known of the two.

Lil Wayne's in luck if he ever needs to borrow a cup of sugar from his neighbor, because he just dropped a fortune on a mansion right by Kylie Jenner's crib.

The rapper dropped $15.4 mil for the home in Hidden Hills -- the high-profile gated community that's home to much of the Kardashian crew -- according to sources familiar with the deal.

The 12,135 sq. ft. home looks awesome -- it's a brand new custom estate with 7 beds, 7.5 baths, and a bright, open floor plan with panoramic views.

The interior comes with all the luxurious bells and whistles you can imagine -- chef's kitchen, breakfast room, refrigerated wine display, piano area, entertainer's lounge and a home theater.

Outside there's a pool, a basketball court, multiple patios with seating and a 1-bed guest house ... and it all sits on 3.26 acres.

Diddy's trip to Florida prevented him from attending his son's 23rd birthday party in L.A. -- well, in-person anyway ... but when you're Diddy you just show up as a HOLOGRAM!!!

The rap mogul's handling some biz in Miami, but turned to the folks over at PORTL to have them beam him live Thursday night into his son Christian Combs' 23rd birthday soiree in Los Angeles. The visual is stunning ... Diddy appeared life-size as a 4K interactive hologram.

We're told the PORTL device allowed Diddy to see and hear the crowd. You can see he dedicated the hell out of "Happy Birthday" to his son and made a toast. Diddy's 3 daughters -- Jessie, D'Lila and Chance -- also appeared as holograms with him.

PORTL, an LA-based startup, dubs itself as the world's first and only single passenger holoportation machine ... and you know what that means. It doesn't come cheap -- it'll cost the average joe around $60k.

For his part ... Christian had one helluva bday bash -- Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Snoop's son Cordell Broadus, Swae Lee, Winnie Harlow and Young Thug were just some of the celebs who attended. They all showed up in-person, though.

Britney Spears says there are no ghostwriters when it comes to her social media posts, contrary to a growing belief ... now she herself tells TMZ she writes the dang things herself!!!

The pop star is refuting claims made by one of her former makeup artists, Billy Brasfield, who alleged Britney personally told him she had no control over this week's Instagram post criticizing the 'Framing Britney Spears' documentary.

Britney tells TMZ ... "No, I’m not talking to him at all. I write my posts. I’m not sure who he is talking to, but I am not talking to Billy B."

Brasfield, who worked with Brit from 2012-13, said he texted Britney about the IG post and she responded right away, telling him she had no say in the caption.

As we reported ... Britney broke her silence on the 'Framing' doc Tuesday, writing she was "embarrassed by the light they put me in" and adding, "I cried for two weeks." Her post certainly took a lot of air out of the idea she was framed.

Lots of folks, including Brasfield, were quick to claim the post couldn't have been written by Britney ... and fans even went after her social media manager, Cassie Petrey, claiming she was the true author.

But, as we first told you ... the social media manager did NOT craft Britney's post about the Hulu documentary, and Cassie wasn't even aware of Brit's plan to express herself until the IG post went up.

Bhad Bhabie was clearly lying when she told us she'd already "done it all" by her 18th birthday, because just a week later she claims she's done something new -- shattered an OnlyFans record.

The rapper formerly known as Danielle Bregoli revealed she's earned more than $1 million after starting up her adult-themed, subscription-based account Thursday ... and claims it only took her 6 hours to become an 18-year-old millionaire.

Based on an apparent screenshot she shared of her accomplishment ... she made over $750k on subscriptions, $5k on tips and more than a quarter-million on direct message tips.

Bhabie wrote, "not bad for 6 hours ... we broke the f**k out of that onlyfans record." We reached out to a rep for the site, and they confirm those numbers are REAL -- it's not an April Fools' joke. We're told her subscription price is $23.99 per month.

You might recall Bella Thorne previously set the OnlyFans record last year by earning over $1 mil in 24 hours.

Before launching her OnlyFans account Thursday, the rapper shared a couple provocative posts on her Instagram teasing it and boasting ... "from now on im gonna do whatever the f*** I want."

Takeoff will not face charges for allegedly raping a woman at a party last year ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. County District Attorney's office tells us it's declining to prosecute the Migos rapper for the sexual assault allegations made against him in August 2020 due to insufficient evidence.

Takeoff's lawyer, Drew Findling, says his office spent countless hours investigating the case and concluded the same thing as prosecutors. He tells us, "The allegations were patently and provably false."

We broke the story ... a woman filing as Jane Doe sued Takeoff for sexual battery and assault, claiming he made her extremely uncomfortable at an L.A. party and later raped her in a bedroom. We then learned the LAPD was investigating the incident.

Quavo is speaking out for the first time since TMZ posted video of an elevator altercation between him and Saweetie -- and he wants to make one thing clear -- he's never physically abused his former gf.

Quavo tells us, "We had an unfortunate situation almost a year ago that we both learned and moved on from. I haven’t physically abused Saweetie and have real gratitude for what we did share overall."

The unfortunate situation Quavo's referring to is a video TMZ obtained inside an apartment complex elevator. The scene starts with Saweetie appearing to take a swing at Quavo during a struggle for control of a video game console.

At one point, Quavo grabs Saweetie by the arm, swinging her into the elevator, and the two fall to the floor. Saweetie stays on the ground -- apparently injured -- after Quavo gets up. Once the door opens, Quavo gets out and makes sure the door stays open while Saweetie limps out.

Quavo's statement comes just hours after Saweetie told us, "This unfortunate incident happened a year ago, while we have reconciled since then and moved past this particular disagreement, there were simply too many other hurdles to overcome in our relationship and we have both since moved on."

West Coast artist Michelle Phillips was only 22 years old when she shot to fame as the harmonizing hottie and one-fourth of the folksy band The Mamas & The Papas ... who blasted into the ears of millions with their debut album "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears" ... which included the classic singles "California Dreamin'," "Go Where You Wanna Go" and "Monday, Monday."

Michelle was joined in the supergroup by her then-husband, John Phillips, Canadian singer Denny Doherty ... and of course the iconic Cass Elliot aka Mama Cass.